Seattle Park Proposal to Cap I-5 Unveiled

Take note. The Seattle waterfront plan is getting a lot of competition. Last month, we saw an opposing proposal to the James Corner Field Operations plan rejected by city council and put on the ballot for next summer. The project—Initiative 123—calls for reinforcing a portion of the Alaska Way Viaduct that runs north-south along the western edge of Seattle as well as building a new section. These two pieces would create a mile-long, High Line–style park.

The C.A.P. concept plan. (Patano Studio Architecture)

Now a Seattle- and Idaho-based firm, Patano Studio Architecture, is proposing an $800 million project to the east as part of a larger conceptual plan to expand the Washington State Convention Center. The project would cap Interstate 5—a highway that runs through multiple neighborhoods such as downtown Seattle, South Lake Union, and Capitol Hill—and build a park on top.

The C.A.P. north tunnel entry. (Patano Studio Architecture)

The architects describe the highway built in 1962 as a “savage scar of roadway” that forever divided the city. Their project would cap a 2 mile long section of the the highway running from Lakeview in the north, south to downtown. The resulting 45 acre park would feature plants, trails, and community spaces, and be adjacent to affordable housing. Toward the downtown end, the park would run over a proposed 20,000 seat NBA / NHL arena that would also double as additional customizable convention space for the Convention Center. The arena would be an alternative to Chris Hansen’s proposed NBA / NHL arena in SoDo.

The C.A.P. north aerial rendering. (Patano Studio Architecture)

The concept, if accepted, could take about 5 years to build.

“In our mind, the old guard way of thinking and planning the city is one project at a time,” Christopher Patano told the Seattle P-I. “I think what we’re finding is this one-piece-at-a-time approach is not producing a cohesive result. It’s not producing a city that functions the way the people of Seattle want it to function.”

A historical aerial WSDOT photo from the Washington State Archives. (Patano Studio Architecture)